Wheel truck



I April 23, 1940. KNAPP 2,198,438-

WHEEL TRUCK Filed Nov. 1, 19:58

Patented Apr. 23, 1940 f it iven sures new orrics WHEEL TRUCK David R. Knapp, Philadelphia, Pa, assignor to Rol-A-Way Truck Company, Philadelphia, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 1, 1938, Serial No. 238,135

' 2 Claims. (Cl. 280-451 My invention relates to that class of devices wheel thereon. Another object is to provide an known as trucks and more particularly to those emergency device which coacts with the movekind adaptable to support a wheelsuch as found ment of the vehicle so that it remains stationary on automobiles or similar vehicles. while the wheel is riding into position thereon.-

5 It often happens that while driving an auto A still further object is to provide an emergency mobile one of the wheels becomes inoperative truck having wheels thereon which are so assodue to some mechanical defect but more often ciated with a wheel mechanism as to hold the from a deflated tire, If road repairs are not Wheels elevated at the receiving end of the truckmade, the vehicle becomes a road hazard if operuntil the vehicle wheel reaches a position to cause 0 ated in such a damaged condition; the wheels to be lowered into traction position.

In the case of a deflated tire a driver is some- The means and mechanism covered by this times forced to, or elects to, drive the vehicle in invention consists substantially in the novel consuch a damaged condition due to the absence of struction of a rolling mechanism, preferably in spare parts or from personal inclinations, assumthe form of a wheel truck, adapted to receive and 1 ing such a road risk, until a repair shop is reached support a damaged wheel, and designed so that m where the necessary repairs may be made. In the truck may be moved with moderate and safe the case of some mechanical'damage, such as a speed while supporting such a wheel to the place broken bearing, or where it is impossible to operdesired. ate the vehicle under any condition, then a tow It is a further object of my said invention to 243 car must be engaged for transportation to a reprovide a wheel truck that will be light in weight pair shop; and especially easy to apply and handle and be If a driver elects to change a tire on the road, of cheap construction, consistent with strength especially a busy thoroughfare, the repair work and durability. becomes a hazard due to the passing vehicles. If With these objects in view my invention conh elects to operate the vehicle with a deflated sists in a certain novel feature of construction 25 tire. it is obvious that serious damage will ensue and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter to the tire and inner tube therefor with the atmore fully descr bed and Pointed Out in t e tending replacement expense. In the case of claims, reference being had to the accompanying mechanical damage to the wheel where the servdrawing forming part of the specification and in ices of a tow car will be required, it is quite obviwhich Figure 1 is a side elevation of the truck ous that considerable expense will be encoun-- with a damaged wheel mounted thereon which is tered, not counting the loss of time in obtaining shown in the form of a deflated tire. Figure 2 the services of such equipment. is a plan view of the said truck showing more It is also quite obvious that the place to make clearly the arra m nt Of pa ts- Figure 3 is a repairs for such breakdowns are either in arepair View showing the position of the run on block 3 shop or at some convenient location that lends with the wheel ready to mount the truck and itself to safety and convenience and where spare especi lly e relative s t of the rear uc parts are readily available. 'However, it seldom wheels with the run on block, and Figure 4 shows happens that breakdowns occur in such favorable the relative DOSitiOn 0f the rim block With e 40 locations but generally on the road where much rear truck wheels after the dama ed Whee has 40 trouble is experienced in restoring the vehicle to been mounted on the truck. a normal operating condition. It will be observed in Figure 3 that when the In view of the above it is the object of my said, run on block rests firmly on the ground it raises invention to provide a means and mechanism to the rear truck wheels off the ground, while in move a vehicle with safety, when a wheel on the Figure 4*when the rear of the run on block has 45 said vehicleis inoperative or in a damaged conkicked up it allows the rear truck wheels to rest dition as aforesaid, under the vehicles own power, firmlypn the ground and take the load; to a repair shop or until a point is reached where In said figures similar numerals of reference the necessary repairs may be made with conrefer to similar parts throughout the several venience. A further object is to provide an views and in which the numeral 1 designates a emergency device for receiving a vehicle wheel pair of forward truck wheels supported by the and supporting the vehicle with the aforesaid axle 2. The numeral 4 designates a pair of rear wheel held out of contact with the road, the detruck' wheels supported by the axle 5, the said vice being automatically controlled by the movewheels 4 being preferably smallerin diameter ment of the vehicle to elevate and position the than the front wheels l. 55

The numeral 6 designates side straps in a frame each formed with one short and one long leg angularly connected in inverted V relation. The said shaft 2 is secured to the ends of the short legs of the said frame by means of the ends of the said shaft forming rivet heads, which places the said shaft in fixed relation with the said straps 6. The front wheels I are free to revolve on the shaft 2.

In similar manner the shaft 5 carrying the rear wheels 4 is secured to the long legs of the said straps 6 with the rear wheels 4 free to revolve on its shaft 5.

The numeral 9 designates a shaft, the ends of which are riveted to the apex of the said straps 6. The said shaft 9 is provided with rollers 3 free to revolve thereon. The said shaft 9 with the rollers thereon forms a stop or obstruction against a further forward movement of a wheel that may be mounted on the truck. By reason of the angularity of the side straps 6, the obstruction point is rearward of the front wheel axle and a predetermined distance higher than the front axle center.

The side straps 6 connecting the front and rear axles, with the wheels thereon, together with the obstruction means in the form of the said shaft 9 with the rollers thereon forms a suitable carriage to support a wheel.

The numeral l designates a run on block, preferably constructed from wood, revolvably mounted on the rear axle and between the two rear wheels. The contour and design of the said run on block is so shaped that the top forms a convenient incline plane to roll the wheel on the truck. The said run on block rises high enough above the top of the rear wheels to protect the rear wheels from a pneumatic tire on the wheel to be mounted. The bottom of the run-on block is constructed to form a fulcrum II] which is so spaced from the axle 5 as to cause the block to turn to lower the wheels to traction position when the damaged wheel rides across the run-on block.

After the wheel to be mounted has ridden on the truck and the center thereof has passed the center of the rear truck wheels 4, the run on block will revolve counterclockwise, or kick up, due to the pressure of the mounted wheel, which action allows the rear: truck wheels 4 to lower in position to receive the load and rest firmly on the ground and-free the run on block from any ground contact.

Having thus described the various parts throughout the several views, all of which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, its mode of operation will be substantially as follows:

Assuming an automotive vehicle wheel to be in an inoperative condition such as a deflated tire. 4

The truck is placed directly in front of the wheel to be mounted with the run on block resting firmly on the ground and with the rear truck wheels raised free from ground contact. In this connection it has been found if the rear truck wheels are in a position to take the load, such as being in ground contact, the damaged wheel to be mounted will not ride up the incline plane and mount the truck, but instead push the truck ahead. In the construction as shown the damaged wheel will advance up the incline plane and on the truck as if the truck was a fixed object due to the rear truck wheels being off the ground.

After the damaged wheel rides over the rear truck axle, the center of gravity will move for-- ward of the rear axle, causing the run on block to kick up and thereby dropping the rear truck wheels to the ground in a position to receive the load and free the run on block from any ground contact.

When the damaged wheel mounts the truck it will continue to move forward until it is obstructed from a further forward movement by the shaft 9 with the rollers 3 thereon. The damaged wheel will then rest firmly between the shaft 9 with the rollers thereon and the run on block 7 and will be bound sidewise by the frame straps G. In this position the damaged wheel will be free from ground .contact and ready for transportation to a place where repairs to the damaged wheel may be made.

The action of a damaged rear automobile wheel, when mounted on the truck, is quite different from a damaged front automobile wheel, by reason of the fact that no driving or turning torque is exerted on the front wheels but considerable torque is exerted by the rear wheels. In the case of a damaged front automobile wheel a moderate high barrier is satisfactory to retain the damaged wheel on the truck and the truck wheel centers may be relatively close. However. to successfully retain the rear driving wheels on the truck where torque is encountered, the forward truck wheel centers must be well beyond the point of tire or wheel pressure or else the wheel will roll off the truck regardless of how free the truck may move. In the construction as shown the forward wheel axle 2 is several inches or a predetermined distance iorward of the point whereforward pressure of the damaged wheel is exerted against the truck.

In the construction as shown and described I have provided rollers 3 on the shaft 9 so that the obstruction contact will be of a rolling nature. If this contact was of a fixed nature such as a simple fixed rod or shaft it would provide a purchase point for the tire to take a grip thereby making it relatively easy for the'tire to roll off the truck, especially the rear wheel of an automobile where torque is encountered.

By providing a rolling contact as shown, should the damaged wheel attempt to rise while being transported, it will first move off the run on block 1 then immediately encounter a rolling resistance of the wheels 3. The damaged wheel will then attempt to revolve slightly but will immediately reset itself on the run on block 'l,restoring the dam aged wheel to its original position.

In the invention as shown and described the said truck may be applied readily to any inoperative wheel of an automotive vehicle by merely placing it in position in front of the said wheel where it is automatically held as the vehicle moves forward to seat the wheel on the truck thereafter the vehicle can move under its own power with relatively reduced speed to a point where the necessary repairs may be conveniently made.

It is obvious that the construction as shown and described lends itself to a light weight design, durable and strong and of cheap construction, thus accomplishing the objects of my said invention.

I am aware that certain departures may be made from the construction as shown and described without departing from the spirit and intent of my said invention.

For instance, a three Wheel truck may be designed, or one or more wheels may be swiveled, or

finements only add to the expense of manufacture and are unnecessary. What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

'1. In a wheel truck of the character described comprising, a set of forward whee1s,an axle therefor, a set of rear wheels, an axle therefor, angular side straps connecting the two said axles, a shaft rigidly connecting the said straps at their apex, rollers on the-said shaft forming an obstruction point, a run on block revolvably mounted on the rear axle, adapted to raise the rear truck wheels off the ground when a load is being run on the said truckyand then lower the rear truck wheels to the ground in a position to take their normal load, after the load is positioned on the truck, substantially as described.

2. An emergency truck comprising a frame formed of side bars, a front axle and a rear axle, and an intermediate support, each side bar consistingof a long arm and a short arm converging upwardly to an apex for supporting an end of said intermediate support, the angle of said short arm with respect to said long arm being such that a plane including said intermediate support and said front axle passes forwardly to the center of gravity of a, vehicle wheel resting on said frame, wheels on the respective axes, and means coacting with the rear axis to guide a vehicle wheel onto said frame, said means acting as a lever during a portion ofthe movement of said vehicle wheel to elevate said rear wheels, whereby said frame is held against movement while mounting said vehicle wheel.

DAVID R. KNAPP. 2o 

